


why they lost their minds (you are in love)

by inlovewithimpossibility



Series: cerys' quarantine and chill fics [19]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:41:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24355240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: Thea Queen grows tired of watching her brother and his best friend pretend like they're nothing more than friends. When she coerces them into a fake engagement bet, neither of them are ready for what it brings to light.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: cerys' quarantine and chill fics [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1667249
Comments: 73
Kudos: 303
Collections: Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive 2020





	why they lost their minds (you are in love)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thefrizz13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefrizz13/gifts), [Oliverslicity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oliverslicity/gifts).



> This is for the Q&C prompt: pining. 
> 
> A HUGE thank you to Erica for the prompt, I had so much fun writing it (even if it has been driving me a little insane). Also thanks to Mandy, Abby, Lexi, and Shel for cheerleading me through it as per usual, y'all are the absolute best. 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this cheesy lil' fic (that's not so little 😂), please let me know if you do by leaving a kudos and/or comment, they make my day!

Thea Queen likes to think she’s a pretty reasonable person.

Sure, she perhaps knows how to manipulate a situation to get it to turn out the way that she wants and maybe she’s a little more impatient than the average person, but she’s only 16… she’s a work in progress, okay?

Plus, her brother and his best friend are the most infuriating people on the face of the earth.

That’s just a pure fact.

Felicity Smoak has been a part of the Queen family’s life since before Thea was born. The story goes that Oliver was the best in math in his first grade class until Felicity transferred all the way from Las Vegas and trumped him in the quiz. Angered by losing his top spot, Oliver confronted Felicity, only to have her ask to be friends and the rest is history.

That competitive spirit, however, set a precedent for the rest of their friendship. Even Thea’s own birth was shrouded in their competitive nature; the ten-year olds had a very serious bet of five Hershey’s Kisses over whether Thea would be a boy or a girl and Oliver had refused to hold her for a week after she was born because he was so angry at losing.

They’ve always been attached at the hip. Through elementary, middle, and high school they were practically inseparable and Oliver always claims that trying to beat out Felicity (an impossible task but he gave it a good go) was probably the only thing that kept him on track academically. They attended college in the same city, Felicity at MIT and Oliver at Harvard, and Felicity fully smashed their competition by graduating with her master’s in the same amount of time it took Oliver to get his bachelor’s. Now that competitive nature continues in their work as they head up two of Starling City’s biggest companies, Oliver working as co-CEO with his dad at Queen Consolidated and Felicity at the head of her own start-up, Smoak Technologies.

Thea loves Felicity. The two of them are practically sisters. Wherever Oliver is, Felicity’s sure to be close by, and that means that for Thea’s entire life, she’s been used to the presence of the bubbly blonde who simultaneously drives her brother up the wall, whilst being someone he cannot live without. She’s had a front row seat through every argument, every fight, and every reconciliation and she knows that the two of them are totally inseparable. Oliver needs Felicity and vice versa.

She just wishes they could see the extent to which that is true.

Thea may only be sixteen, but she’s not an idiot. She can recognise love when she sees it so plainly laid out before her, and her brother and Felicity are in love. Frustratingly, beautifully, and unknowingly in love.

She can see it in the way that Felicity is always the first person Oliver looks for when he enters a room and in the way that Oliver is first person Felicity finds when she’s had a bad day. She can see it in the way they support each other through everything, never being ashamed to tell the other when they think they’re wrong but showing them how they can learn and improve from what the situation taught them.

Most of all though, Thea can see it in the way they look at each other when they think the other isn’t looking.

Both their parents are convinced of it too. Thea’s heard her father say a million times over that he thinks it was fate that brought the two of them together and she’s heard Donna question Felicity time and time again about when she and Oliver are just going to give up the act and get married. But Oliver and Felicity just can’t seem to see it.

Felicity admits they’re soulmates, but then she’ll say it’s in a platonic way, and Oliver will smile and say that besides Thea and their mom, Felicity is the only woman he can see himself loving for the rest of his life, but then he’ll backtrack and say it’s just in a friend way.

They’re so frustrating and Thea has had to deal with it for sixteen years.

But luckily for them, Thea has decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Look what I found!” She sings as she skips into the living room of the Queen Mansion where Oliver and Felicity are lounging on the couch. 

Thea finds it odd that they continue to hang out here when they both have very nice apartments in the city but Felicity can’t cook to save her life and Oliver bemoans that he can’t cook for them both every night. Thea thinks they just like being here, seeing as they spent so much time in this house growing up, and she can’t exactly begrudge them that.

“What?” Oliver frowns frustratedly as he and Felicity untangle from where they were laying together on the couch. Thea pauses as she looks at them before shaking her head and continuing her way into the living room. Their casual affection is something she’s grown used to over the years, but it’s still slightly odd to witness when she hasn’t been around them in a domestic setting for a while.

“ _Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak: Are The Business Beauties Actually Betrothed?”_ Thea reads from the tablet she’s holding in her hand with an amused grin that only widens when her brother and his best friend groan simultaneously from the couch.

“Ugh, what paper?” Felicity questions with a tired huff but Thea just smirks, jumping over the armchair arm to sit crossed legged.

“ _Starling Stars.”_ She explains and watches as Oliver and Felicity share a look. She knows they’re doing their weird thing where they have a conversation without speaking, she’s extremely used to it by now. Soon enough, they break their gaze and look back to Thea.

“They’re usually nice.” Felicity frowns and Thea notes how Oliver reaches out to grab her hand, squeezing it in comfort. Felicity calms almost instantly and the small yet adorable interaction just fortifies Thea’s resolve to make her plan work.

“It’s just so funny.” She comments with a smirk which turns their attention back to her once again.

“What do you mean?” Oliver questions with his trademark frown. Felicity also regards Thea with a quizzical expression and the sixteen-year-old does her best to hide her smirk as she thinks of the possible outcome of this.

“Well that all these papers think that you two could be dating. Neither of you could sell that if you were being paid to do so! You’re too good friends.” Thea shrugs, turning her head to bite her cheek to stop herself from smirking. Oliver and Felicity gasp, both of them looking entirely affronted and it takes all of Thea’s efforts to not laugh. Even in their indignation they’re in sync.

“We most definitely could!” Oliver tells them, narrowing his eyes at her.

“People have been saying it for years, there’s got to be some foundation for it.” Felicity reminds her logically, raising an eyebrow and Thea bites harder into her cheek to stop from smiling before rolling her eyes again.

“Please, you two say it yourselves! You know each other too well to date.” She huffs, gesturing towards them and acting as if the entirely coupley way they’re sat on the couch is further evidence for her remark.

“Well, that’s just to get you lot off our backs. It’s all you, Mom, Dad, and Donna ever seem to want to talk about.” Oliver huffs with a roll of his own eyes and Felicity nods, pointing towards Oliver as if to confirm her agreement. Thea shakes her head, realising she’s going to have to bring out the big guns.

“I think Felicity could handle it, but you wouldn’t stand a chance, Ollie.” Thea smirks gently, it morphing into a smile when her brother’s mouth drops open in shock as Felicity giggles.

“She’s right.” Felicity comments and Thea grins as Oliver’s whips around to look at his best friend.

“Hey!” He calls indignantly and Felicity frowns, tilting her head as she looks at him in a familiar fashion. It’s the expression she always gets when she and Oliver challenge one another and Thea’s smile only grows as she sees her plan start to come together.

“What?” Felicity questions, acting innocent with a flutter of her eyelashes and a pout of her lips. Thea snorts under her breath as Oliver visibly freezes for a moment, just more evidence of how far gone he is on this girl.

He shakes his head before narrowing his eyes, leaning in closer so that he and Felicity are mere inches apart. “I could totally convince the press I’m in love with you.”

“Well, they already think that.” Thea reminds them, wiggling the tablet with a smirk and Felicity and Oliver break apart, both of them sending her reprimanding looks.

“Please, you’d totally crack first.” Oliver huffs, leaning back into the sofa with a shrug and Felicity scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

“As if, I’m a way better actor than you, Queen, and you know it. Remember the sixth grade play?” Felicity questions, raising an eyebrow and Thea snorts as Oliver’s mouth drops open.

“That’s not fair. _You_ weren’t forced to wear a costume you could barely move in.” Oliver retorts, his eyes narrowing again but Felicity just laughs loudly, throwing her head back. Thea notes how Oliver’s eyes soften at the sound, regarding her with the tenderest of expressions whilst she’s not looking.

“Oh but you made such an adorable duckling.” Felicity giggles, reaching out to pat Oliver on the cheek. Thea can’t help the grin on her face, they’re so adorable, and it merely strengthens her resolve in her belief of her plan.

“Shut up.” Oliver pouts, though the way he leans into her hand on his cheek negates his words and tone. “Still, without the confines of that ridiculous outfit, I could out-act you any day.”

“You wish.” Felicity scoffs with an amused look to regard him with.

“Alright then, let’s do it.” Oliver states simply and Thea resists the urge to squeal as her plan starts to come together. She _knew_ playing on their competitive nature would work and there’s no way they’ll come out of this without something going down between them.

They’re so clearly in love. Thea knows this will work. It has to or she will actually lose her mind.

“So, you want to what? Pretend to date?” Felicity asks in disbelief, leaning back from him and raising a dubious eyebrow. Thea winces, knowing that if Felicity uses her logic on Oliver, she might lose her chance.

“Need I remind you both that most of Starling already thinks that’s what you’re doing?” Thea questions and smirks as they both turn to look at her as if they’d forgotten she was there for about the fourth time this conversation.

“You’re no help, Speedy.” Oliver levels her with a look and Thea just grins with a shrug before he looks back to Felicity. “But no, we go with Starling Stars. We pretend we’re engaged.”

“Engaged? And then what? It all blows up in a fiery explosion?” Felicity presses and Thea knows she’s right. _If_ they were going to end this, they’d need an exit strategy. However, if everything goes the way Thea wants it to (and she’s pretty sure it will) they won’t want that exit strategy at all.

“Can’t handle the heat, Smoak?” Oliver challenges with a raised eyebrow and a lean into her personal space. Thea can spot the exact moment that Felicity’s competitive nature wins out over her logical brain and she feels a jolt of pride rush through her.

“Oh, I can handle it. I just don’t know if your ego could handle me dumping you in front of the entire city.” Felicity shrugs, the two of them so close that Thea honestly feels like she’s interrupting something.

“I’m sure I’ll survive.” Oliver grins, his eyes narrowing even further.

“You’re on. One month or whoever cracks first.” Felicity grins, holding her hand out for him to shake and Thea grins in victory when he takes it.

“You’ve got yourself a deal there, Smoak.” He nods and Thea giggles when Oliver lifts their conjoined hands to kiss the back of Felicity’s, resulting in an astonished look from the blonde. “We’re fake engaged now, Smoak.”

And as Felicity’s cheeks flush red with a blush as Oliver winks, Thea feels a premature pride settle in her chest.

* * *

Felicity has done a lot of stupid things in her life.

Growing up with Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn practically made it impossibly for her not to. However, they’re adults now, CEOs of rival companies, and Felicity wrongly thought they were over these kind of childish shenanigans.

Because pretending to be engaged? That’s ludicrous, right? That’s not the sort of thing that friends do, not the sort of thing she as a mature and fully-grown adult should do, right?

But it seems when it comes to Oliver Queen and him accusing her of being worse than him at something, she’s still that six-year-old girl who was perhaps a little too smug over beating him out at math.

So when he issues the challenge, she can’t resist. Even though she knows it’s a terrible idea.

Thea handles the drop, posting a picture of Felicity drinking a strawberry lemonade on her Instagram that just so happens to showcase the rock of a ring she produces from the Queen vault. Felicity feels like her hand has almost doubled in weight as she wears it but the media laps it up immediately with almost every local newspaper reporting on the alleged engagement between the two CEOs.

The next step is the gala.

They’d all been planning on attending the benefit for the city’s disadvantaged children anyway but now it serves as the perfect place for them to make their debut as a public couple for the first time.

Which doesn’t have Felicity’s stomach twisting nervously as she regards herself in the mirror _one bit._ Not at all.

“You can do this, Smoak. Just be yourself.” She tells herself as she fixes her hair in the full-length mirror. It’s moments like this that Felicity wonders how her life got to be like this. Not the whole fake-engaged to her best friend thing… that’s a whole other thing entirely, but the fact that she gets to dress up like this and represent the company that she’s built from the ground up… it’s everything she’s dreamed of since she was a little girl.

Plus the fact that she can afford dresses like this deep green satin number with the high slit up to her thigh and simple yet elegant design makes the little girl within her who couldn’t afford a new pair of shoes when hers had a hole in them sing in happiness.

“Oh, are we pep talking now?”

Felicity jumps at the sound of Oliver’s voice and she turns to see him leaning against the door, smirking at her. He has another look in his eye, one that makes Felicity blush as he looks up and down, but she gets distracted before she can linger on it too long.

He looks… _incredible._

Felicity knows that Oliver is attractive, she’s no idiot and she has eyes. She’s been friends with him long enough to see the way that girls hang off of him and beg for his attention. He can capture an entire room when he walks into it. Interestingly enough though, Oliver’s never been interested in it. Even when they were teenagers and Tommy tried to get Oliver to party like he did, Oliver tended to choose movie night with Felicity over it all.

There’s always been something about Oliver in a suit though. He may be her best friend but Felicity’s still only human and she can appreciate the way his muscles are highlighted in a form fitting suit. She’s _particularly_ fond of him in a waistcoat and she feels a smile form on her face as she notices how his tie matches her dress perfectly.

“Oliver! You can’t just walk in here!” She frowns as she schools her expression, levelling him with a look but Oliver just grins.

“I thought we were engaged?” He questions with a teasing eyebrow as he pushes off of the door frame and makes his way over to her.

“ _Fake_ engaged.” Felicity reminds him, rolling her eyes as she turns back to the mirror to check herself over one last time. 

“It’s not like I don’t usually just walk in here.” He shrugs as he walks up behind her, their eyes meeting in the mirror. His arms wrap around her waist in a familiar move and Felicity steps back into his embrace happily, allowing their usual easy affection to fortify her.

“One of your less favourable quirks.” She smirks in a voice with no venom as her hands slide over where his arms are holding her around his waist.

“You love me.” Oliver chuckles, bending to kiss her cheek softly and Felicity smirks.

“Debatable.” She tells him, meeting his eyes in the mirror. Her expression softens as she stares at him, her fears about this arrangement flooding back into her brain. She can spot the exact moment Oliver notices it as his gaze softens too and he turns her around, cupping her cheeks as he looks at her tenderly.

“Hey, you know we don’t actually have to do this, right? Thea played right into our competitive nature but if this makes you uncomfortable, we can call it quits before we even start. It’s okay.” He tells her with a reassuring smile and Felicity takes a deep breath, nodding her head.

“You know I just don’t like being the centre of the press’ attention.” She shrugs sheepishly but instead of the smile she hopes to elicit, Oliver softens further and rubs his thumbs over her cheeks.

“I’ll be right with you the whole time.” He promises with a conviction Felicity knows he means and she hums, leaning into the warmth of his hands on her face.

“Thank you.” She smiles before she stands to press a kiss to his cheek. When she pulls back, she levels Oliver with a smirk and watches his serious expression lighten. “But you’re going down, Queen.”

“We’ll see about that, Smoak.” He chuckles, reaching out to pinch her side and Felicity squeals, it devolving into giggles as he tugs her fully into his arms. She knows that she’s safe when she’s with him and whilst she’s determined to win this bet, she’s truly grateful to have him by her side through this.

* * *

Oliver’s never been a fan of these galas.

He knows that they’re for good causes and he believes in doing good where he can but he’d much rather make a large donation and leave, rather than spend the night in a stuffy ballroom with stuffy people.

Tonight, however, is very different. Rather than having to spend the entire night away from Felicity as he usually does, the two of them having to separately entertain investors and other members of Starling elite in the interests of their separate companies, their relationship is the talk of the ballroom tonight. That means that they get to spend the night together and Oliver finds himself actually enjoying himself for once.

He’d be lying if he pretended that he doesn’t like the opportunity to be up close and personal with Felicity in that dress. She’s _gorgeous._ It’s not like that’s new information but she’s utterly dazzling tonight. The satin material of her dress flows with her curves as if it’s a second skin and Oliver finds his eyes lingering where the material exposes the slope of her back and where a glimpse of her thigh appears through the slit on the skirt.

He tells himself that he’s acting, playing the part of her fiancé, but truth be told, his hands reach for her bare skin of their own accord. They’ve always had a connection, something like a magnetic force drawing them together, but Oliver has never thought about it before now.

It’s making his head spin.

“I didn’t realise you two were together. What a sweet story you have. You’ve been friends for so long!” One of his parents’ friends who sits on the board for both their companies squeals at them, the woman grinning as she gestures to their entwined hands and the ring that sits on Felicity’s finger.

“It’s funny, sometimes you just don’t realise what’s right underneath your nose. Isn’t that right, sugar bear?” Felicity explains flawlessly, turning to grin up at Oliver and he chuckles, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her waist. His hand grazes the bare skin of her back that her dress exposes and Oliver could swear he feels her shiver. He gently pinches her skin, retribution for the last of many sickly-sweet pet names she’s been calling him tonight.

“Hmm, I simply opened my eyes one day and realised that I’ve been in love with Felicity for much longer than I knew. She’s always been a blessing in my life, now I just get to express my gratitude for that properly.”

Oliver finds himself speaking before he even realises it, bending his neck to press a kiss to the top of her head. He feels Felicity freeze for a moment before she smiles, leaning into him.

It scares Oliver a little, how easily this relationship thing comes to them, but he supposes it’s just a testament to how good friends they are.

“Well, you make a beautiful couple and a highly successful one at that too.” The board member smiles, looking between them with an affectionate look and they both smile in thanks.

“Thank you.” Felicity grins as she walks away. The blonde then slips out of his arms, turning to face him with a smug look on her face.

“Sugar bear? Really?” Oliver questions with a raised eyebrow, fighting a smile when Felicity giggles adorably, shrugging her shoulders.

“Oh, you don’t like that one? What about honey muffin? Pudding pop? Dreamy eyes?” She asks with a preening twist of her shoulders and Oliver rolls his eyes before her words compute and she grins.

“You think my eyes are dreamy?” Oliver questions with a smirk and Felicity freezes for a moment before rolling her eyes and poking him in the chest with a glare. “Is this your strategy? You think you’re going to win by calling me overly sweet nicknames?”

“Well, a mastermind never reveals their plan.” Felicity grins, her hands landing on his chest as she grins up at him cutely, rising onto her toes.

“Oh, of course. But if it is, just know that I’ve been dealing with all your quirks for our whole lives, Felicity, a few sickly sweet pet names are not going to turn me off.” He tells her with promise in his voice, his hands landing on her waist.

“We’ll see about that.” Felicity retorts with a smirk but she falters when he presses a kiss to the end of her nose. He feels pride rise in his chest when she stumbles a little to turn to face the person coming up to them, glad to see he can get to her the way she gets to him.

* * *

The next few weeks pass in an odd blur.

There are magazine interviews, a _lot_ of Instagram posts at Thea’s encouragement, and whilst some of it drives Oliver up the wall, the chance to spend so much time with Felicity and be close to her is worth it all.

Despite that, he’s very glad for a chance to return to normality with their usual weekly movie night. They’ve missed the past two at the expense of public events so Oliver is so glad they’ve found time for it this week.

This is normal, usual, and it’s free from the confusion that the falsity of their fake engagement brings. Over the past few weeks, Oliver has found himself craving public events for the chance they bring to hold Felicity in his arms, kiss her hair and cheeks, and indulge in all the other liberties that come with the act. It scares him to be wishing for that so fervently, he doesn’t want to ruin anything.

So that’s why tonight is a welcome reprieve.

Or at least he thought it would be.

“So, what are we watching? And don’t say Die Hard.” Felicity questions from where she’s already set up on the couch. She’s dressed in sweats and his old green hoodie, her hair loose around her head. Oliver can’t help but note how gorgeous she looks even without a lick of makeup on her face but he immediately shakes his head, trying to force that thought to the back of his mind.

Tonight is about normality. He needs to stop thinking of Felicity as if he’s acting for the press. She’s just his best friend… his gorgeous, ridiculously intelligent, can’t get her out of his head, best friend.

“Damn it.” He forces himself to tease back and Felicity grins, looking back as she flicks through the movies on Netflix.

“The Proposal?” She suggests and Oliver wracks his brain as to whether they’ve already seen it, groaning when he remembers the plot. “Don’t groan, you like rom coms secretly.”

“Felicity, I’m not really in the mood to watch a film about a couple pretending to be engaged.” He reminds her, smirking when she frowns, that familiar crinkle appearing on her forehead.

“Oh, right. Yeah, maybe that one is slightly too on the nose.” She shakes her head with a blink and Oliver chuckles, shaking his head.

“Harry Potter?” He suggests, knowing that their favourite childhood series is always a safe bet, and a smile spreads across his face when Felicity quite literally bounces on the couch in excitement.

“Oh you know I’m always here for Harry Potter.” She replies and Oliver chuckles, nodding his head.

“Popcorn?” He questions, already moving towards the kitchen of her apartment, knowing that she’ll answer in the affirmative.

“Of course, with…”

“With chocolate pieces tossed in the bowl, I know the deal by now, Smoak.” Oliver interrupts her with a roll of the eye, he turns back to look at her with a reproachful yet amused look that softens as she grins up at him.

“You’re the best.” She tells him and Oliver chuckles, unable to resist walking over to her.

“Don’t I know it.” He tells her, bending to press a kiss to her forehead. It happens so naturally but he immediately freezes, shaking his head. “Sorry, I…”

“Why are you apologising?” Felicity questions, clasping his arm to stop him from walking away and Oliver freezes at the jolt of electricity her skin on his sends through him.

“I don’t know. Sorry, I’m just in a weird mood.” He shakes her off but she reaches up with her other hand, stopping him from turning away.

“We can skip the movie, just take a nap if you want?” She tells him softly, tilting her head as she regards him softly. The thought of curling up in bed with her, holding her as they sleep, the two of the entwined in their most peaceful of states… it’s everything he wants but everything he knows he cannot allow himself to indulge in.

“No, I’ll be fine.” He tells her with a smile but Felicity narrows her eyes at him, clearly not believing him. “Promise.”

“If you’re sure.” She sighs, finally letting go of his arm and Oliver takes a deep breath to control himself as he heads into the kitchen.

He takes his time making the popcorn, making sure it’s exactly the way he knows Felicity likes it. Making his way back to her when it’s done, he drops the bowl next to her before he sinks onto the opposite end of the couch.

“What are you doing?” Felicity questions immediately, her hair falling in front of her eyes as she tilts her head to regard him with an odd expression.

“Watching the movie?” Oliver responds with a frown, gesturing to the TV.

“All the way over there? Do I smell?” Felicity asks with a disbelieving chuckle, looking at him as if he’s grown two heads.

Oliver knows that she’s right. They _never_ sit this far apart during movie nights but that fact just makes his head spin even more.

Have they really always been like this? Does that mean he’s been in love with her for far longer than he knows?

Is he…?

He’s in love with her?

Maybe he is.

God, this is all so confusing.

“No, I just…” He starts but trails off, shaking his head, having no idea how to talk to her about this.

“Okay, what is going on, Oliver?” Felicity huffs, moving the bowl to the coffee table before she crawls across the couch towards him.

Oliver freaks, standing up from the couch, and the hurt expression that covers Felicity’s face makes Oliver’s heart clench.

He’s fucking this all up.

He doesn’t know how to talk to her but he’s hurting her anyway and good lord… he just wants things to go back to the way they were before all these _feelings_ were messing up his brain.

“Nothing, I’m fine.” Oliver insists and Felicity sighs, rising from the couch herself to level him with a look.

“You’re clearly not. You have never sat that far aware from me on a movie night. You’re a serial cuddler, Queen.” Felicity grins in her usual way of attempting to add levity to every situation but it doesn’t have its usual calming effect. He just wants to be able to curl up with his best friend and watch a movie but he can’t… because this whole farce has made him realise that he’s in love with her.

What is he supposed to do about that?

“I just… this whole fake engagement thing is messing with my head.” Oliver tells her honestly with a shake of his head but Felicity just melts, tilting her head. She steps forward with concern on her face, reaching out for him. Oliver pulls his arm out of her reach and feels a shot of pain when hurt registers on her face once more.

“Messing with your head? In what way?” Felicity asks softly and the tender concern for him so evident in her voice makes his heart ache.

“I just… I can’t do this. You win the bet.” Oliver swallows, stepping back.

“Oliver…” Felicity tries, stepping after him, and he shakes his head.

“Felicity, can we just not?” He asks, his head whirling.

“No, we’re not like this, Oliver. We tell each other what’s wrong. We definitely don’t lie to each other.” Felicity tells him, her voice gaining an edge as she starts to get frustrated. Oliver feels tears spark in his eyes, knowing that she’s right.

“I’m not… fine. I…” He tries to start but the words get all jumbled up in his brain and he has no idea where to even start.

What if he ruins everything? What if he hurts her and they end up way worse off than they were before? He can’t lose her. He _can’t._ He wouldn’t survive it.

He doesn’t work without Felicity Smoak. That much he knows for sure.

“Oliver, whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ll figure it out together, just like we always do.” Felicity smiles gently, her voice full of such light and warmth that Oliver finds himself leaning into it.

“You’re sure?” He questions, his voice breaking tenderly. He’s scared but maybe…

“Of course I am. You’re my best friend, Oliver.” Felicity tells him softly with a smile but those words… they cut through him…

“Best friend, right.” Oliver freezes, nodding his head with a thick swallow. “I just… I can’t right now. I need to go.”

Oliver shakes his head, pulling away from her and heading towards the door.

“Oliver! Oliver!” She calls after him and the sound of the pain in her voice cuts through him like a knife but he keeps on walking, not feeling like he has any other choice.

* * *

Felicity jolts at the sound of a knock on the door.

She shakes her head as she attempts to shirk off the sleep. Looking around, she realises that she must have fallen asleep on the couch and, as she notices the full bowl of popcorn and chocolate pieces prepared just the way she likes on the coffee table, the memory of the previous night comes flooding back to her.

Her brain clouds in confusion as she tries to think it through. She just can’t understand why Oliver wouldn’t just talk to her. They’ve been friends for so long, through thick and thin they’ve _always_ been honest with one another.

Seeing him be so closed off, clearly hiding something from her, it aches, saddens her in a way she’s never felt before.

The knocking continues and Felicity shakes her head, wiping the dried tears from her cheeks and making her way to the door. She adjusts Oliver’s hoodie on her form, taking a moment to breathe in the comforting scent that’s purely her best friend, before she opens the door to reveal an irritated looking Thea.

“Felicity? What is going on? Ollie’s not answering his phone and I thought we agreed we were meeting at the mansion this morning?” The teenager huffs, flying into her apartment in her usual whirlwind way.

“Thea, I… it’s off.” Felicity sighs, shaking her head as she shuts the door behind the girl who’s like her little sister.

“What’s off?” Thea questions with a frown and Felicity takes a deep breath.

“The bet. We’re done.” She explains with a small smile, blinking back the tears that start to form at the reminder of Oliver just walking out on her.

“What do you mean we’re done?” Thea presses, her annoyance morphing into concern and Felicity sighs, shaking her head.

“It’s over. Oliver relented.” Felicity shrugs, forcing herself to remain calm even as she wants to curl back up under the blanket on the couch and cry.

“No.” Thea states simply, shaking her head, and it’s Felicity turn to frown as she looks at the teenager.

“What do you mean, no?” Felicity asks with a small disbelieving chuckle. She knows that Thea is spearheaded but she’s never known her to just straight out deny facts.

“This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.” Thea huffs as she sinks into Felicity’s couch cushions.

“Thea, what do you mean?” Felicity frowns, moving quickly to sit down next to the girl. She’s not making any sense and is only confusing Felicity more.

Thea takes a deep breath, looking at Felicity with a sheepish expression before she winces and finally starts to talk. “Okay so maybe the bet was my plan to get you guys to realise that you’re in love with each other.”

“Thea.” Felicity huffs, shaking her head as things start to come into perspective.

“What? I was only trying to help.” Thea insists and Felicity sighs, shaking her head. Things make so much more sense now, though she’s still none the wiser on the reason for Oliver’s freak out.

“Thea, you can’t just mess with people’s lives like that.” Felicity explains softly, her hand sliding over Thea’s comforting as she levels the teenager with a reprimanding look.

“You both agreed!” Thea insists and Felicity shakes her head amusedly.

“You know you played us, young lady.” She reminds her and Thea bites her lip with an apologetic look that has Felicity chuckling with an affectionate shake of her head.

“But what happened? How come Ollie pulled out? You were supposed to realise you’re in love with each other and live happily ever after!” The teenager bemoans and Felicity takes a deep breath.

“This is the real world, Speedy. There are no happily ever afters.” She smirks gently, patting Thea on the knee, but it doesn’t calm her at all.

“Yes, there are! You and Ollie deserve yours! Tell me everything that happened.” Thea insists and Felicity takes a deep breath, settling back into the couch with a shake of her head.

She tells Thea the whole story, starting from the beginning of their movie night but Thea stops her just before she finishes the story.

“See! There!” The teenager calls, stopping Felicity’s story, and the blonde frowns, unsure as to what’s so special about what she’s said.

“What?”

“He said ‘best friend, right’. He wants to be more, Felicity. That’s what has him so spooked.” Thea explains and Felicity freezes.

Could Thea be right? Is that what had Oliver so spooked?

“That’s just what you want to believe it is.” She shakes her off, shaking her head, but Thea just sighs, regarding Felicity with an amused expression.

“No, Felicity. I know that’s what it is. You can’t deny that this fake dating thing has come so easily to the two of you, you were practically already engaged.” Thea shakes her head amusedly and Felicity freezes once more.

Is Thea right?

It’s certainly true that there’s very little difference between how they act in private to how they’ve been acting in public for the bet. Affection has always come easily between them and there’s no one she trusts more than Oliver in the world. Her life without Oliver… it’s an unthinkable thought, and the pain she feels from him leaving her alone yesterday is just more evidence from that.

“I don’t…” She shakes her head, sighing as she sinks further into the couch. Her head is spinning and she doesn’t know what to think anymore.

“Felicity, tell me that you’re not in love with my brother.” Thea states simply and Felicity blinks, completely unable to speak the words.

“I- I can’t.” She tells the teenager honestly, chuckling when Thea squeals loudly in excitement.

“I knew it. There’s a reason you haven’t taken that ring off.” Thea smirks, gesturing to her head and Felicity blinks, looking down to where the Queen heirloom still sits on her hand.

“I… I need to talk to Oliver.” Felicity shakes her head as she stands from the couch, reaching for a pair of sneakers. She knows she looks a state but she doesn’t want to wait to find him.

She loves him. She can’t believe she hasn’t realised that before now.

He’s everything to her, her entire life, and for whatever reason, she couldn’t fathom just how deep the affection in her heart is for him.

“Oh, he’s not at his apartment. I went there first.” Thea calls out but Felicity just shakes her head with a smile.

“No, I know where he is.”

* * *

It doesn’t take her long to get there. The mansion is a fifteen minute drive from her apartment and the walk into the woods behind it is five minutes at a stroll, but Felicity takes it at a light jog in her haste.

Sure enough, when she reaches the end of the familiar path, ducking underneath the branch and jumping over the fallen trunk, she can see Oliver sat up in the old treehouse. They’d begged Robert to help them build it during the summer after their third grade and it’s been their special place ever since.

After every fight, every breakup, every problem, they’ve found their way here and it fills Felicity with comfort to know that Oliver still sought refuge here.

“I thought you might be here.” She comments softly, getting his attention and he jumps before softening, a small smile crossing his face as he looks down at her.

“Felicity.” He comments with a weight to his words, blinking at her as if he’s looking at her for the first time.

“Mind if I join you?” She asks, keeping her voice light. After last night, she’s terrified of spooking him but he just smiles softly, reaching down to offer her a hand.

When they were little, there was a rope ladder for them to climb up but they repurposed it for Thea’s own treehouse around a decade ago. By that point, they were both tall enough to climb up onto the platform themselves so now the only way up is to pull yourself in.

“You know I can’t turn you away from here.” Oliver tells her gently as he helps her up and Felicity chuckles as she settles next to him, her legs hanging off the platform.

“It would be incredibly rude of you after all these years.” She grins at him lightly, throwing her hands over the piece of wood that forms a barrier. It once stopped them from falling off but it only reaches their knees now when standing.

“Are you mad at me?” Oliver asks after a long moment, looking at her with such a heavy expression that Felicity feels it pierce through her eyes. There’s a lost quality to Oliver’s eyes, as if he’s in real pain at the thought of having hurt her, and that thought alone makes Felicity ache.

“Why would I be mad at you?” She asks softly, reaching out to take his hand. She’s scared he’ll pull back like he did last night but instead he turns his hand over, entwining their fingers and squeezing her hand reassuringly.

“I was rude, I didn’t let you in. You were right, we’re not like that. Not you and me.” He tells her gently, looking at her with a vulnerability and tenderness that makes her heart stutter for a moment.

“No, we’re not, but I know that you know that and I can understand why you were freaking out.” Felicity states with a gentle smile, watching as Oliver frowns confusedly.

“You can?” He asks and Felicity takes a deep breath, her stomach churning nervously.

“This whole situation is… it’s a lot.” She states simply as she looks away from him, turning her gaze to the view before her. She remembers when they were little, how they’d felt like such royalty sat up here. In this space, she had once felt like nothing could ever break her and Oliver, like they were king and queen of all that they oversaw.

How she wishes they could go back to how they were back then, so happy and carefree, with nothing able to hurt them so long as they had each other.

“Understatement of the century.” Oliver chuckles, bringing Felicity’s attention back to the situation at hand. He squeezes her hand again and she sighs, letting their connection fortify her. Taking another deep breath, she forces the logical side of her brain to ignore the nervous twisting of her stomach and looks back towards him.

“Oliver, I love you. Not in the way that I’ve claimed to love you all these years. I do love you in that way but I’m also _in_ love with you. You’re… you’re the very best part of my day, you always have been, and my world doesn’t work without you in it. I don’t work without you.”

Her words come so easily as she speaks them as if the admission is as easy as breathing and she realises that it is. Everything with Oliver has always felt so natural and organic and even though it terrifies her, this feels so too.

Oliver’s face switches from shock to the biggest smile Felicity thinks she may have ever seen on his face (and that’s including the time they won ten bags of candyfloss at the fair). Her hand feels suddenly empty when Oliver slips his out of it but as his hands land softly on her cheeks, she can’t say she minds too much.

“Felicity, I… I love you so much. I never realised how much until now. You’re everything to me and I don’t work without you either. You and me, we’re something else entirely, magic or something equally as sappy…” Oliver trails off with a chuckle and Felicity feels her eyes fill with far happier tears as she giggles too.

“I guess Thea’s plan worked after all.” She grins, reaching up to wrap her hands gently around her wrists.

“Thea?” Oliver questions with a frown and Felicity laughs, shaking her head as she remembers that he doesn’t know.

“I’ll explain it later, just… can we kiss properly now?” She asks gently, biting her lip as she regards Oliver nervously.

“I’d like nothing more.” He grins and her nerves lessen as he leans in.

Their lips slide together in the most natural way as if they’ve done it a thousand times before. They respond to one another as if their lips know each other as intimately as their hearts do, exploring each other to ignite passion and affection more fervent than Felicity has ever experienced within her bones. It’s the kiss she’s always dreamed off, gentle and pure with an ardent undertone that speaks to the deep love that unites them. It’s so incredible and Felicity finds herself gasping once they pull away.

Their eyes meeting, they both instantly break out into laughter and Felicity leans into the arms Oliver wraps around her as she lets the mirth overtake her.

“I suppose I should take this ring off now.” She comments once she calms, looking down at the diamond on her finger. It’s odd, it’s become so natural to her over these past few weeks, despite her initial worries about it.

“What if you didn’t?” Oliver questions and Felicity frowns, twisting her head so that she can look at him in surprise.

“What do you mean?” She questions, not quite able to register what he’s trying to say and Oliver chuckles, moving them so that they’re face to face once more. He takes her left hand in both of his, his fingers dancing gently across the ring.

“Well, I know it’s a bit forward but you… you’re it for me, Felicity, I know that much. I’m not saying we need to get married anytime soon, not for years, but one day, I want you to be my wife and I don’t want to have to fake breakup with you just because we’re dating for real now.”

Felicity freezes at his initial suggestion but as he speaks, she finds that his logic tracks. It would only make things more complicated if they had to publicly breakup and explore this new relationship of theirs in secret. Plus, she truly believes that he’s it for her too and she knows that one day, even if it is years in the future, she wants nothing more to walk down to aisle to find him waiting at the other end.

“I- yeah, okay.” She nods, swallowing thickly, and grins when a bright smile spreads across Oliver’s face.

“Yeah?” He asks tentatively and Felicity chuckles, nodding her head.

“You’re it for me too, Oliver. You and me, we’re magic, or something equally as sappy…” She repeats in a teasing tone with a chuckle as she reaches up to brush his hair back from his face.

“Shut it, you.” Oliver chuckles with an affectionate roll of his eyes, regarding her with an amused yet reprimanding look.

“You know, I bet I’m way better at this dating thing than you are.” Felicity grins with a teasing smirk and Oliver laughs loudly, throwing his head back.

“Oh really, Smoak? Just you wait, you aren’t ready for all the ways I’m going to sweep you off your feet.” Oliver responds, leaning in close as he narrows his eyes teasingly.

“Bring it.” Felicity giggles, levelling his fighting glance with one of her own, laughing loudly even as he pulls her in for another kiss.


End file.
